STATE FUNDING GUIDE
HF 2618 (May 2024) requires personalized reading plans for K-6 students not reading proficiently and evidence-based, science-of-reading-aligned instruction, but the mandate came without a dedicated recurring district appropriation. No dedicated recurring state literacy purchase fund identified; districts typically use federal Title I/IDEA, plus Iowa’s state-administered federal CLSD subgrants and optional statewide purchasing contracts for ELA materials.
House File 2618 (2024) early literacy / personalized reading plan law, layered on Iowa Code 279.68 Early Literacy Implementation
The state-level programs below are the streams Iowa districts most often use for evidence-based reading intervention purchases, alongside the federal streams available everywhere.
Iowa won a $24 million multi-year federal CLSD grant (2024) and awarded $3.8 million in planning subgrants to 28 districts and charters (October 2025), with larger implementation subgrants available through 2029 that can fund evidence-based literacy programs and professional learning.
The Department negotiated statewide contracts with pre-set pricing for ELA/literacy materials — a purchasing vehicle with negotiated discounts, not a funding stream; districts pay from general, Title I, or IDEA funds.
Approved-list note: Iowa does not mandate curriculum or maintain a required approved reading list; its statewide HQIM contracts are optional purchasing agreements, and HF 2618 compliance is checked via annual desk audits of personalized reading plans.
Evidence-based reading programs grounded in 20+ years of research. Created by Dr. Maryanne Wolf.
© 2026 Nido Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.